Gathering of the Wicked

Gathering of the Wicked Rulebook

Table of Contents

Object of the Game

Team Mayhem: Reveal and defeat the members of Team Mischief.
Team Mischief: Remain hidden and defeat the members of Team Mayhem.

18 character cards (9 Disney Villains, 9 Disney Henchmen)
12 Alignment cards (9 Team Mayhem, 3 Team Mischief)
7 special cards (1 Crown, 5 Claw mark cards, 1 Rope)
1 rulebook
1 introductory booklet
2 player summary cards

Characters

Players can play a Disney Villain or a Disney Henchman as their character. They will also receive a random team Alignment: Mayhem or Mischief.

Alignment

Mischief. During the night, the members of Team Mischief choose a player of Team Mayhem to defeat. During the day, they try to keep their secret identity hidden to avoid retaliation from the rest of the Gathering. The number of members of Team Mischief can vary from 1 to 3 players, depending on the total number of players taking part.

Mayhem. During the day, the members of Team Mayhem try to deduce and identify the members of Team Mischief within the Gathering and to defeat them.

Description of the Character Cards

If a character's rule contradicts a general rule, the character's rule takes precedence.

Disney Henchmen Rules

Disney Henchmen who vote against the Disney Villain who is their counterpart run serious risks. If a Disney Henchman chooses to vote against their Disney Villain, and if the Disney Villain is defeated and is revealed to be a member of Team Mayhem, then the Disney Henchman is also immediately defeated!

With the exception of Diablo, Henchmen have no other special powers.

Maleficent and Diablo

Maleficent and Diablo are a wicked couple who spy on the other members of the Gathering...

Every night, Maleficent chooses a player whose secret Alignment is secretly revealed to Diablo. Diablo then passes this information on to Maleficent, but can choose whether or not to tell her the truth.

(Example scenario: Diablo might choose to conceal the truth in order to protect an ally who belongs to his own team.)

If one member of this pair is defeated, the other loses their power.

Card text: Maleficent: Every night, ask Diablo to spy on the Alignment card and inform you about it. Diablo: Every night, you spy on the Alignment card of the player picked by Maleficent to tell her about it.

Prince John and Sir Hiss

The Gathering turns to Prince John when it cannot agree or make a decision.

Prince John starts the game with the Crown card. The player who holds the Crown is the one who makes the final decision when a vote ends in a tie.

If the player who holds the Crown is defeated, that player designates a successor to whom the Crown and its responsibilities pass.

Card text: Prince John: You decide in case the Gathering's vote ends in a tie. If eliminated, you must pick a successor to the Crown. Sir Hiss: Don't vote against Prince John unless you're really sure.

Queen of Hearts and King of Hearts

Whoever provokes the Queen of Hearts can be defeated as quickly as she loses her temper!

Once per game, and only during the day, the Queen of Hearts can interrupt a debate by accusing a specific player of treason. She will point to that player and announce: "Off with their head!"

The players will immediately vote to save or defeat THAT specific player in that round. Accused players do not have the right to vote (their opinion does not count in this case). Once a player has been accused, the Queen of Hearts cannot change her vote. This special vote replaces the normal day vote.

Mother Gothel and the Stabbington Brothers

Mother Gothel has discovered a place where she can hide and lock away other players. In that place they will be out of reach of any member of Team Mischief!

Every night, Mother Gothel chooses a player to lock away, including herself. That night, if the locked-away player is chosen by the members of Team Mischief, they cannot be defeated.

Mother Gothel cannot choose the same player two nights in a row, including herself.

Captain Hook and Mr. Smee

Captain Hook obeys a single law: the Pirate Code! He will not hesitate to take a prisoner if doing so will dissuade and prevent the other players from targeting him.

At the start of each day, Captain Hook will temporarily take one of the players prisoner by handing them the Rope card! If Captain Hook is defeated by the vote of the Gathering, his prisoner is also defeated. Therefore, the members of Team Mayhem must be absolutely sure they want to defeat Captain Hook, as they could lose one or two members of their team if their Alignment deductions turn out to be wrong.

Card text: Captain Hook: Every day, you hold a player prisoner. If you're eliminated, your prisoner will also be eliminated. Mr. Smee: Don't vote against Captain Hook unless you're really sure.

Hades and Pain & Panic

As God of the Underworld, Hades can sometimes cancel the fate of a defeated player.

Once per game, Hades can choose to save a player who had been chosen by Team Mischief to be defeated.

Hades can also use this power to his own benefit and save himself, if he was chosen by Team Mischief.

Card text (Pain & Panic): Don't vote against Hades unless you're really sure.

The Queen and the Magic Mirror

Thanks to her Magic Mirror, the Queen can identify a suspicious player...

Once per game, the Queen can choose to unveil the secret identity of another player by revealing that player's Alignment card to the group. If that player is a member of Team Mischief, they are defeated immediately.

Stepmother, Drizella and Anastasia

The Stepmother may not be the most threatening Villain of the Gathering, but with the help of her two daughters, Drizella and Anastasia, she can easily tip the balance in her favour.

The Stepmother is the only Villain in the game to have two Henchmen: Drizella and Anastasia.

Card text: Stepmother: You are the only Disney Villain to have two Henchmen.

Shere Khan

Shere Khan is intelligent, patient and cunning. Every time Shere Khan votes against another player, that player receives a Claw mark card. In subsequent votes, each player who has a Claw mark card receives one additional vote against them for each Claw mark card they have.

Shere Khan is the only Villain in the game without a Henchman.

Card text: When you vote against a player, you'll scratch that player with your claw, which will count as an extra vote in the following days. You don't have a Sidekick.

Game Setup

Based on the total number of players, take the corresponding number of Team Mischief cards shown in the table below. Then add to this same deck a number of Team Mayhem cards until the total number of cards equals the total number of players.

The Narrator is never counted in the total number of players.

6 players	7 to 11 players	12 players
1 Team Mischief Alignment card	2 Team Mischief Alignment cards	3 Team Mischief Alignment cards

Select a number of character cards equal to the number of players, observing the two rules below.

For every Disney Villain character card selected, always add the card or cards of the Henchmen associated with it.
With an odd number of players, you must select either the Stepmother and her two Henchmen, or Shere Khan.

For your first games it is recommended to select the characters recommended on the player summary card.

Game Narrator

A. The players freely or randomly choose a Game Narrator, who will lead and narrate the game. In the first games it is advisable to choose someone who knows the rules of the game well, who has already read the rulebook, or who is a good entertainer, in order to create the right atmosphere.

B. First the Narrator deals 1 character card face up to each player.

Then the Narrator deals 1 Alignment card face down to each player. Each player looks at their Alignment card in secret and places it face down in front of them. Players must keep their Alignment card face down and keep it secret until they are defeated.

Night Phase: Course of the Game

The Narrator reads all the text in bold:

As the light begins to fade, darkness starts to envelop all the members of the Gathering... Now the night phase begins... The members of Team Mischief will try to take advantage of the darkness to defeat the members of Team Mayhem. But they will not be the only troublemakers to act at night...

The Narrator announces when night falls.

The Narrator says: "Night falls and all the players of the Gathering close their eyes and go to sleep."

All players close their eyes.

Then, the characters who have a power are always called in the following order. (Be careful not to call characters who are not in the game or who have already been defeated.)

1. The Narrator calls Maleficent.

The Narrator says: "Maleficent wakes up and chooses a player whose Alignment she wants revealed."

Once Maleficent has chosen a player, the Narrator says: "Maleficent goes back to sleep. Diablo now wakes up to spy on the player chosen by Maleficent."

The Narrator reveals to Diablo the Alignment card of the player chosen by Maleficent, then places it face down.

The Narrator says: "Maleficent wakes up again and Diablo reveals to her the Alignment of the chosen player. Diablo will give Maleficent a thumbs up to indicate that the designated player belongs to Team Mayhem, or a thumbs down to indicate that the chosen player belongs to Team Mischief. But be careful, Diablo may also decide not to tell her the truth..."

Once this information has been conveyed, the Narrator says: "Maleficent and Diablo go back to sleep."

2. The Narrator then calls Mother Gothel.

The Narrator says: "Mother Gothel wakes up and chooses a player to lock away."

The Narrator walks around the group and discreetly touches the back of the chosen player.

That night, if the locked-away player is chosen by Team Mischief, they cannot be defeated.

The Narrator then says: "Mother Gothel goes back to sleep."

3. The Narrator calls Team Mischief.

The Narrator says: "All the members of Team Mischief wake up and choose a player to defeat!"

The members of the team open their eyes, confer in silence and choose a player by pointing at them.

The members of Team Mischief cannot choose a player of their own team.

The Narrator then says: "Team Mischief can now cheerfully go back to sleep, satisfied with its sly plot."

4. The Narrator calls Hades.

The Narrator says: "Hades wakes up. I will reveal to him the player chosen by Team Mischief."

The Narrator points out to Hades the player chosen by Team Mischief.

"Do you decide to save this player? Give me a thumbs up if you want to save them from defeat, or a thumbs down if you prefer to use this power later."

The Narrator says: "Hades goes back to sleep."

5. The Narrator calls the Queen.

The Narrator says: "The Queen wakes up. I will reveal to her the player chosen by Team Mischief."

The Narrator points out to the Queen the player chosen by Team Mischief.

"Do you choose to reveal the Alignment of another player? Give me a thumbs up to reveal the Alignment of another player, or a thumbs down if you prefer to save this one-use power for another time."

The Queen can then choose whether to use her one-use power to select any player, except the one originally chosen to be defeated.

The Narrator says: "The Queen goes back to sleep."

If the Queen uses her power, the Narrator turns face up the Alignment card of the designated player until the end of the game. If that player is a member of Team Mischief, they are defeated immediately.

Day Phase: Course of the Game

The Narrator reads all the text in bold:

Slowly, the light of day begins to make its way through the darkness and the eerie night recedes to make way for the dawn of a new day... During the day phase, the members of Team Mischief will try not to be noticed and to prevent their Alignment from being revealed to the other players. All the members of the Gathering look at one another with suspicion, the tension is palpable, but the group must reach an agreement: a member of the Gathering must be defeated before sunset!

1. The Narrator wakes the whole Gathering.

The Narrator says: "It is morning, players open your eyes."

If the player chosen by Team Mischief was not saved, the Narrator points to the chosen player and reveals their Alignment card to the group: that player leaves the game.

If the player was saved (thanks to Mother Gothel or Hades), the Narrator simply says that no one was defeated.

If the Queen used her power and the chosen player is a member of Team Mayhem, the player continues to play and everyone now knows their Alignment; otherwise, the player is defeated.

If a defeated player has the Crown card, they choose a successor before leaving the game.

The defeated player or players can no longer communicate in any way with the other players. However, they can still win or lose the game together with the team they belong to.

2. Captain Hook takes a prisoner.

The Narrator says: "Captain Hook now chooses a player to take as a prisoner." Captain Hook then hands the Rope card to the chosen prisoner. If at the end of the debate the Gathering votes to defeat Captain Hook, the prisoner will also be defeated in that round.

3. The Gathering's debate.

The Narrator moderates the debate of each round.

Suspicious noises or movements during the night phase, strange behaviour toward another player, and always identical or inconsistent votes are all clues that could indicate that certain players are members of Team Mischief.

During this phase, it is important to remember that players have different objectives:

The members of Team Mayhem will strive to reveal a member of Team Mischief and to steer their votes against them.
The members of Team Mischief will pretend to be members of Team Mayhem to avoid suspicion.

Players have the right to say anything they want in this phase, to persuade the other players and influence their votes. However, players cannot and must never show their Alignment card until they are defeated. This phase is the heart of the game.

3B. The Queen of Hearts can stop the debate.

Once per game and before the Gathering's vote, the Queen of Hearts can choose a player to target and declare: "Off with their head!"

In that case, the Narrator says: "The debate is over. The Queen of Hearts has used her power and the Gathering must now decide immediately whether to save or defeat the accused player. I will count to three, then give a thumbs up to save the accused player, or a thumbs down to defeat them."

The accused player does not have the right to vote and the Queen of Hearts is obliged to vote thumbs down.

If the majority of votes are thumbs down, the player is defeated.

In case of a tie, the player is pardoned.

This is the only voting procedure that overrides the normal voting procedure of the Gathering. Then the next night phase begins immediately.

4. The Gathering's vote.

The Gathering must defeat a player who, in its opinion, is a member of Team Mischief.

At the Narrator's signal, each player points to the player they wish to defeat. Voting is mandatory and must be simultaneous. Delaying your vote is not allowed!

The player who receives the most votes is defeated.

In case of a tie, the player who holds the Crown decides who is defeated.

If no one holds the Crown, no one is defeated.

The defeated player reveals their Alignment card to the group and will no longer be able to communicate with the other players in any way during the game.

If the defeated player was a member of Team Mayhem, the group must check whether the defeated player's Henchman voted against them. If so, the Henchman is also defeated.

Shere Khan leaves a Claw mark card in front of the player he voted against. Claw mark cards are cumulative.

The Next Round

The game continues as before, from the night phase to the day phase.

The Narrator says: "Night falls, the remaining members of the Gathering go back to sleep again!" The players close their eyes.

End of the Game and Victory Conditions

The game ends when:

Team Mayhem manages to defeat all the members of Team Mischief. In this case, Team Mayhem has won!

The members of Team Mischief are equal to (or greater than) the members of Team Mayhem. In this case, Team Mischief has won!

Tips for the Narrator

The Narrator's role is fundamental: it is thanks to them that the players will have fun and enjoy the game!

As Narrator, try to set up a gripping scenario by creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Try changing the volume, tone and rhythm of your voice to suit the atmosphere you are trying to create.
Build suspense before revealing the player chosen by Team Mischief.
The Narrator's text is included in this rulebook. However, when you become familiar with the game, you can customise the passages as you like.
Do not let any clue or information slip during the night phase by speaking only to the players you have woken up. Speak to all players equally to foster suspicion and confusion.
When you show Diablo an Alignment card, to help create confusion and tension among the "sleeping" players, pick up several cards from different players, but show Diablo only the Alignment card of the player chosen by Maleficent. Then place it face down in front of the player from whom you took it.
Walk around all the players when you touch the back of Mother Gothel's prisoner, so that no one can hear or work out who was chosen.

Preparing the Gathering

Here are some tips for creating a balanced game experience:

In a beginners' game, try not to include Mother Gothel or Shere Khan.
Always include Maleficent, except in 6-player games.
With fewer than 12 players, include Mother Gothel or Hades, but never both.
With fewer than 10 players, try not to include Captain Hook or the Queen.
Try not to introduce too many new characters in the same game.

For the detailed FAQ and other tips, visit https://www.zygomatic-games.com/en/gathering-of-the-wicked-faq/

Game Turn Sequence

Night	Day
Maleficent	The Gathering wakes up
Diablo	Captain Hook
Maleficent + Diablo	Queen of Hearts
Mother Gothel	Debate
Team Mischief	Vote
Hades	Shere Khan's Claw marks
The Queen	The Gathering goes to sleep